Senseless Folly
by Marystormshade
Summary: Ciel Phantomhive has been released from Rutledge asylum. Currently under the care of his psychiatrist, Dr. Claude Faustus, the traumatic childhood memories of the deaths of his father, mother and fiancée continue to haunt Ciel. He returns to Wonderland in hopes of security and comfort, but unfortunately, it has become warped by his growing insanity.
1. Chapter 1

**Summary: Ciel Phantomhive has been released from Rutledge asylum. Currently under the care of his psychiatrist, Dr. Claude Faustus, the traumatic childhood memories of the deaths of his father, mother and fiancée continue to haunt Ciel. He returns to Wonderland in hopes of security and comfort, but unfortunately, it has become warped by his growing insanity. **

**Warnings: Adult themes, Dark topics/gruesome stuff, Pedophilia (Claude Faustus's fault) and some other stuff that I can't think of currently...**

Xxxxxxx

The insufferable ticking of Dr. Faustus's pocket watch swinging in front of his face eventually does its job as Ciel slumps backwards into the plush of the office's couch.

The ticking continues even as Dr. Faustus's voice of velvet invades the confides of Ciel's mind, seemingly shuffling for something in particular. Ciel's never liked velvet. He decides in that moment between consciousness and unconsciousness that satin is in fact superior.

Ciel jerks momentarily as a blurred image comes into his sight.

"Come Ciel, it's only a dream." Dr. Faustus coos authoritatively, his voice cloaking the ticking briefly.

Ciel feels his insides churn at what he thinks is Dr. Faustus's breath on his ear, but he waves it off as what he is experiencing behind his eyelids currently.

"It's not a dream, I'm certain it's a memory." Ciel denies strongly. His nose crunched in disgust. "And it's sickening."

He was of course referring to the memory, and within the memory, to the scarred man sitting across from him on the opposite end of the table, raising his hand and making a half decaying corpse shuffle towards him, a tea pot in hand. Ciel's figure accepts the tea graciously in a cup that's missing half of its self. When the tea spills onto Ciel's vest the scarred man covers his mouth, his long finger nails inching over his lips as his green eyes shine. He laughs at Ciel then, silver hair shaking beneath his overly large top hat, reaching three heads high, the pattern resembling a mix-matched checkerboard.

Suddenly the ticking and Dr. Faust's voice return.

"Focus, you're floating again, weightless, a cipher, relax..." He whispered as Ciel swore that the sound of clanking metal was so loud that certainly his psychiatrist heard it too? The macabre tea party changed quickly to a battle field, red and white chess pieces fighting with an almost intricate design as they fall to their deaths just beyond the burning throne room of a queen shrouded in red, her lips sadistic.

"Forget it!" Dr. Faustus commanded as fingers rested on Ciel's forehead, checking his temperature. Seemingly satisfied the fingers removed themselves as Dr. Faustus continued. "Abandon that memory, it is unproductive. Go, to Wonderland."

Ciel forced his eyes shut into a tight line as he subtly shook his head. "I-I can't." He seemed to plead. "I'm trapped in my past." He whispered as he saw himself once again staring at the burning house he called home, his parents trapped inside. Citizens and policeman of the like stood about him, fretting, however he paid them no heed as he stared wide eyed at the raging fire.

The faces of the people around him however morph into something strange, as the heads of cows pop out of necks, and the caw of birds come from mouths. What's more the house has crumpled and the ashes have been replaced with a black river. Tree's a plenty lining the contaminated shores.

"Discard that delusion Ciel, forget it. Go to Wonderland." Dr. Faustus insisted further. Ciel felt his hair being swept out of his face. Ciel's mouth curled in discomfort.  
"My wonderland is shattered. It is dead to me." Ciel said slightly disappointed.

Unbeknownst to Ciel, Dr. Faustus's golden eyes twitched in annoyance.

"Your preference doesn't signify boy. Now, where are you?" He asked, not giving any further room for debate. Ciel sighed outwardly as he saw himself sailing on a makeshift raft, a tea set and assorted snacks laced on the wood in front of him. And on the other side of the raft sat a girl. Her smile brilliant as her golden haired curls and eyes lashes fluttered at him playfully. Her green eyes sparkled adoringly at him.

"I'm sailing...and having tea with...ah...my fiancée. But it's different somehow." Ciel whispered the last part to himself, but still Dr. Faustus heard it. "Things have changed."

"Ah, but change is good, change is the first link in the chain of forgetting." Dr. Faustus commented appraisingly. However, Ciel wasn't paying attention as he was to focused on his fiancée's currently bulging eye. Seeming ready to pop from its socket.

"Are you mad?" Ciel asked gently as he unconscious lifted his arm from the cushion of the couch a few inches.

Xxxxxxxxxxxxx

Claude Faustus watched from his chair as his little Ciel went into his hypnotic trance. Unconsciously the psychiatrist licked his lips, god what a seller he would be.

As Ciel's arm raised, Claude reached out and pinned it down gently, leaning slightly over the young boy, who paid no mind.

"Are you mad?" Ciel whispered, unaware of Claudes presence. Claudes eyebrows furrowed.  
"I'm not mad." Claude said slightly puzzled by the outburst. However Ciel's arm attempted to raise higher as he whispered.  
"Lizzy..."

Claude released the boy's wrist as he leaned back into his chair. "That's not right...what's she doing there?"

"Is something wrong?" Ciel continued. The boy flinched however as both of his hands raised to cover his face. "Oh...No, no, no!" He cried, "Not that!"

Claude leaned forward, his interest sincerely peaked.

"Don't struggle Ciel, let the new wonderland emerge."

Xxxxxxxxxx

After Ciel's initial horror at watching his fiancée turn into a raining fountain of blood, he was hardly surprised when the black river churned violently, spewing forth monsters of blackness that wrapped themselves about each other, pristine doll and human limbs sticking forth, empty face staring back. The architecture of Wonderland itself changed drastically as well, what had once been bright colors of joyous greens and yellows turned to a moldy display of black and puss.

His hands shook in front of his eyes.

"Corruption...it's killing me! It's destroyed, my mind is in ruins!" Ciel cried out as claws reached from the black depths and pulled at his skin, tearing it.

"Forget it Ciel, lock away that dream of yours. Wake at the sound." Dr. Faustus instructed as the loud sound of his fingers snapping together shot Ciel up into a sitting position.

"My head's exploded and there's a steam hammer in my chest." Ciel growled angrily as he rubbed his temples forcefully. Dr. Faustus sighed, "Yes well, the cost of forgetting is high. Now if you're so disgusted by your memories, then simply remember other things. I will set you free Ciel," Here Dr. Faustus leaned forward in his chair, his hair falling down the side of his face as his glasses glinted in the light. "As I've said memory is a curse more often than a blessing."

Ciel turned to the side as a slight pink grew on his lips due to the older man's intense eyes. Ciel coughed, releasing some tension that he felt in his throat.

"Now...before our next session I want you to collect your pills from a high street chemist." Dr. Faustus instructed as he put his shoulders on his knees and rested his head on the steeple of his hands. Ciel nodded before getting up and leaving, but not before looking back at Dr. Faustus's next patient. A child who couldn't have been older than 8.

Xxxxxxxxxx

Ciel tripped over his loose shoe lace and let out a string of curses as he felt a warm sticky substance slid down his shin. Rubbing the cloth of his dirty and tattered pant leg into the wound he easily stopped the bleeding. Looking up he found his face inches away from a very skinny looking cat. The cat looked at him curiously, before meowing and sauntering off towards an alley, it's black fur glistening in the sun.

Against his better judgment Ciel followed the cat.


	2. Chapter 2

There is terror, in not knowing. This was Ciel's first thought as he unwillingly fell down the wormhole that had appeared underneath him just as he was about to touch it's silken fur.

The tube like tunnel through which he fell seemed to be made up of bricks. Although eventually the bricks were replaced with faces, limbs and a garish liquid that clung to his clothing. He covered his eyes and curled into a ball, attempting to rid himself of the nightmare.

Xxxxxxxxxx

Ciel's fingers dug into the plush grass beneath him as he tried to still his breathing. Releasing his grip on the ground he stood with a new found confidence as he surveyed the familiar world around him.  
"Ah..." Ciel whispered to himself as he examined the new clothes that Wonderland had deemed him in need of. "So it's back here, is it?"

A new blue vest fit for a noble now adorned his chest, a white button up shirt and a green tie also completed the upper body, giving his childish figure class.

On his legs were reasonably modest male trousers that reached just to his knobby knees, which followed tall stockings which fastened at his mid shin. His shoes however, were multi-purpose as they seemed perfectly adept at grip and flexibility.

However, Ciel was taken away from his thoughts of fashion as a hand rested ever so gently on his shoulder and a pair of lips leaned to his ear.

"About time you showed up, my young Ciel."

Ciel pivoted violently trying to catch a glimpse of the red eyes he knew so well. However, when he turned, he was met with only an empty patch of grass. The voice then appeared a few feet behind him, slightly ahead on the most noticeable path in the whole upside down place.

"To slow~."

The sight of him caused Ciel to take an intake of breath.

The man was studying him with the eye of a professional, one hand resting at his chin thoughtfully, while the other gripped his hip, allowing the man's lean frame to stretch its full length. The man, though his demeanor was that of someone groomed to perfection, looked feral. His feline eyes watched Ciel with an animalistic hunger, and it was then that Ciel noticed how thin the man really was. His wrists were bony, yet strong, and his fingers were long and dainty, but entirely capable of ripping through flesh.

Suddenly the man grinned, making him all the more gruesomely terrific. Not including the wardrobe of a tattered grey tux that clung to him like a fur that never did fall off. His skin was a whitish gray and as he stepped forward, Ciel took a step back.

"Don't try to bully me cat! I am very much on edge!" Ciel demanded as the man took another step forward. The man frowned and pursed his lips as his red eyes shone brightly.  
"Why so formal? And I thought we were on a first name basis..." The man trailed off, his silk hair falling forward as he leaned toward the much smaller boy.

"Say it." The man commanded, his twisted grin never leaving. Ciel let loose a shaky breath. Regardless of the fact that the man/cat in front of him was far more dangerous than Ciel liked to admit, and far more likely to kill him in his sleep than any of Ciel's other many Wonderlandians, he couldn't help the strange attraction he had always felt for the other male. Particularly those eyes...

"S-Sebastian..." Ciel murmured quietly.

Almost immediately the man stepped back, his grin still in place.  
"That wasn't so hard, now was it?" The man side stepped and began walking down the path of vegetation before athletically jumping across the small stream that blocked the way. He looked back at Ciel momentarily, before commenting.

"You should be on your guard, new law reigns in this wonderland. We're at risk here." He finished before turning away, he stopped however and looked back. "I like you when you're on edge. You're awfully boring when you're calm, and you take up far too much space."

Xxxxxxxxxx

Ciel's Cheshire cat faded almost instantly from his vision. He never knew how the feline like man had gained the abilities he had, and he didn't much care. With an annoyed huff he shimmied along the edge of the stream until coming along abnormally large Domino pieces. He cringed.

He had played Domino's with Lizzy when they were children.

Getting across the stream had been considerably simple compared to the next puzzle. Proceeding up the two large slopes that were humanly impossible to climb. After a bit of investigation Ciel came across a large fungus. The Fungus, he thought, had a great deal of elasticity. And so, with a might heave he threw himself onto the fungus and was propelled upward to the edge of the top slope. He gripped it tightly before pulling himself up pathetically.

Sebastian watched from his lounging position next to the pool of purple water that poured forth from a waterfall, originating from an endless spring within a bottle, conveniently labeled: Drink me.

When Ciel had recovered he joined the man, keeping a reasonable distance.

"I've been down this road before. Good things in small packages?" He said to no one in particular. Sebastian shook his head gently.  
"I believe, though you are lacking a bathing costume, a plunge into that pool is in order."

Ciel, knowing that something interesting would happen, followed instructions. However, instead of immersing his entire being, he allowed for his hand to be dosed heavily in the purple liquid. And that was quite sufficient.

"My god, I'm shrinking in the potion...shall I disappear?"

"Almost, however the upside is that while smaller, you can see things that are nearly invisible to your bigger self."

While Ciel's small body climbed from what now seemed like an immense ocean, he noticed that Sebastian had once again disappeared.

"Blasted cat."

Xxxxxxxxxx

Ciel had to admit that even he could not forget this place.

The place where the large skeleton of the Jabberwocky lay, the place where he had plunged with all the courage he could possibly muster, into the battle that rocked the foundation of Wonderland.

But that was then, and this was now.

Sebastian's tattooed hand beckoned Ciel forward as it held the deadly blade as bait, bait which Ciel gladly took. "The Vorpal blade is swift and keen, and always ready for service." Sebastian commented dryly as he watched Ciel run his fingers over the base of the silver surface.

"I haven't come back here looking for a fight." Ciel stated blandly as he unconsciously placed the blade within his boot leg.

Sebastian faded backwards until only his grin was left.

"That's a pity." His voice echoed hauntingly. "Because one is certainly looking for you."


	3. Chapter 3

The tar like substance littered the ground in disgusting pools, squelching beneath Ciel's feet as he walked onwards.

And it was from these tar pools that a bubbling noise began. Ciel looked about in surprise, and unconsciously reached into the leg of his boot and gripped the handle of the Vorpal blade. And as the tar pool in front of him began to heave and quake, before forming a barely humanoid creature, Ciel was reminded of something.

_'Fight or fight' implies a permanent choice. But 'flight' often just means putting off the fight to another day. Choose your battles wisely Ciel._

The black tar monster molded itself further as it took on the shape of a walking human heart, a doll face as it's mask. Ciel unwillingly smirked as the monster suddenly charged at the boy without warning, making a squealing cry of anger as it was met with the sharp tip of metal that was Ciel's blade. Half expecting the monster to fall, Ciel removed the blade, and leaped back.

Thankfully, the fencing lessons with his Fiancée had paid off.

The monster shook itself, as if relieving of its possession a great burden, and then, putting two of its horrid hands to its chest, it pulled a chunk of itself out, therefore holding a large glop of tar.

It then threw this at Ciel.

There was a pause as Ciel brought his fingers to his cheek, where the tar had smeared on him. It stung horribly and caused his vision to blur. The monster took this to his advantage as it rushed Ciel, successfully knocking the boy down. With Ciel on his back the monster leaped onto him, it's doll face stretching garishly as a mouth took shape.

It planned on swallowing him whole.

"Argh!" Ciel cried as with all the force he could muster he stabbed the monster's face, cracking the porcelain of the doll mask.

The creature fell to the side, a useless husk.

"Ugly, gross and evil in a single monstrosity." Ciel stated contemplatively as he ran a shaky hand through his hair.

Xxxxxxxxxx

Ciel quickly discovered, that, as he had suspected, his athletic skills remained strictly reasonable. No matter what the rest of Wonderland did, he was to remain entirely and utterly..._normal._

He had found this when he attempted to jump in order to grasp hold of a vine that he could pull and use as a harness as he shimmied across the great cavernous pit that was presented in front of him. The vine was station no more than a foot and a half out of his reach, and still with a jump, he could not reach it. So he moved a large rock beneath his feet and climbed atop that, successfully gripping the green plant.

He tied the vine into a noose and fit his small body into it, tightening it about his waist as he pulled on the vine, testing its strength. Feeling with confidence that the vine wouldn't snap with his weight, he clamped his body to the ledge and attempted to shimmy across.

After five meters, his feet gave out, and Ciel plummeted downwards with a great cry. He closed his eyes tightly, waiting for the painful snap that was to come when the vine reached its end and resisted his weight. However, it never came, instead, Ciel found that he had landed on a flying cow.

Yes, he agreed, it was ridiculous.

The cow was also very shocked to find a boy suddenly riding it. And so it bucked and heaved, but Ciel's grip did not falter from the cows horns. Finally, the cow, with a head too big for its body, and wings to birdlike for its species, decided that Ciel was far too much trouble than what its poor animal mind was used to, and so, with a sharp curve it ducked beneath a ledge, just low enough as to avoid it, but Ciel wasn't ready for the duck.

He fell off the cow with a mighty cry (Whatever happened to the vine we don't know, we can only assume it went back to doing whatever it is vines do), and landed quite precariously on the table of the currently very annoyed looking Duchess.

"Ah, Ciel~!" Cried the Duchess in mocking delight as the thing extended its arms.

(I refer to the Duchess as a 'thing' because, as of currently, neither Ciel nor anyone else for that matter, are aware of the Duchesses gender. It can be assumed that it is a woman due to the fact of the over feminine attitude, long red hair, and manicured face makeup, not to mention the red dress. It seemed Red was the favorite color of this Duchess).

"Why would I go near you?" Ciel exclaimed in reference to the Duchesses open arms as he climbed off the table as scooted away. "You want to eat me!" The Duchess looked slightly disappointed before smiling widely, showing its perfectly filed teeth, sharp to a point.

"No, no, no! It's strictly a cat and spider based diet now! My, how I just wish to eat them up!" The Duchess cooed as she wrapped her arms around herself in an embrace before spinning slightly. Ciel shook his head in disgust as he turned to leave the Duchesses strange resting area, but was stopped by a hand.

"Certainly you weren't going somewhere without this?" The Duchess asked offended, as its red painted finger nails pinched his skin.

In the Duchesses hand was a gun.

A very strange gun, Ciel thought, as he examined it. It had a single barrel, a trigger, and a cocking mechanism, but there was no place in which you were to insert ammunition.

"Ah yes, the gun shoots six shots maximum before it reloads automatically, but do be carefully, the reloading process takes time." The Duchess giggled as it released him. "It's of my own design. I'm more deadly efficient than I look you know!"

Xxxxxxxxxx

Ciel didn't stop sneezing for what felt like hours.

The Duchess always had enjoyed pepper, no matter the amount.

He sniffed as the sneezing finally subsided.

Ciel had kept his distance from the tar monsters, giving them a large birth, but sadly, more often than not they sought him out. And he was forced to engage them.

For everyone he killed however, another two would take its place. He quickly concluded that there was in fact some sort of method behind this madness, no matter how subtle it was. Occasionally he came across moving platforms. But, the most baffling thing about these moving platforms, were the fact that they were connected to nothing. They hung suspended in the air by invisible puppet strings as they slid back and forth while Ciel would jump onto them like a frog.

He found it quite humiliating, but necessary.

It was after the moving platform phenomena that he encountered a worm like creature that slithered along at a snail's pace on its belly. It was also made of tar, and extremely hostile. Turning into bloody thirsty leeches at the mere sight of Ciel, they would lunge for him and attack.

Xxxxxxxxxx

He fell into the corruption.

It had been invisible up unto this point, but now it was staring at him in the face, garish and grotesque. The Wonderland of vibrant green's, luscious blues, and fiery reds, was replaced with glaring black, crumpling rock and seeping tar.

_The railway running through Wonderland sounds charming, but inefficient. Noise and smoke, like 'snips and snails' perhaps. Best to forget that train. A mock turtle as conductor? Oh no I don't think that'll do at all._

It was what could approximately be assumed as a wreck site, or perhaps a museum. Either way, rusted cargo boxes and passenger cars were tipped over, some even lying upside down. Street lamps lay around randomly, lighting the yellowing grass beneath them. A metal water tower seemed to have been twisted in the middle before straightening itself out at both ends.

And then, two passenger cars that had been resting on the edge of the cliff, toppled downwards with much screeching.

Ciel sighed for a moment before speaking to no one in particular.

"Hatter always hated mechanical malfunctions. This is either his doing, or his epitaph."

And so, Ciel followed the train tracks.


	4. Chapter 4

**Hatter's Domain: Part 1**

Sadly, Ciel found, that at some point the train tracks had to be left behind as the terrain became unsafe to travel on.

Ciel blamed the Madcap's that had taken residence all along the length of the train tracks leading up to the area that Ciel had currently found refuge in. They had displayed their gruesome yellowing teeth at him as they lunged with sharpened spoons and forks. He would've found it comical had he not been fighting for his life.

Xxxxxxxxxx

His lips puckered as he let loose a large gust of air into the bellowing summoning horn. It gave out a loud resonating hum of an extremely low note. Moments later a large lift in the shape of a tea pot zipped down the wire that was located not but five meters from Ciel.

Before stepping on the lift however, he took a moment to look at the place where he was about to enter.

It was...a jumbling mass of moving metal poised in the sky. Cogs wheels spun at rhythmic paces while Hatter's obsession with clocks was only amplified by the increased ticking sound that seemed to be coming from each individual building, as if it were its own entity. The light emitting from the place gave it a ghoulish look, as red tint purpled the smog of pollution that lingered about the whole place.

Stepping onto the lift Ciel rubbed his temples.

"Almost exactly as I remember it." He observed, once he was content that his headache had subsided.

"Appearances, as you know better than most, can be deceiving." A suave voice commented dryly. Ciel spun, eyes wide as he took in Sebastian, who was sitting cross-legged on one of the lounging seats. He looked the same as he had during their first encounter, and Ciel doubted that his appearance would change at all in the future. Sebastian was appraising him with a critical eye.  
"Much has changed since your last..._visit._"

Ciel glared at the man, who still smirked knowingly at him.

"Dr. Faustus says that change is a constructive, that different is good."

Sebastian's eyes narrowed at the mention of the psychiatrist, and Ciel swore he saw a flicker of anger pass on the man's pristine features, though he couldn't be sure.

"Different denotes neither bad nor good," His eyes strayed away from Ciel for a moment as he observed a Dodo fly past the lift, "But it certainly means not the same. Find the Hatter Ciel, he knows more about **different** than you."

Their conversation was interrupted however as the sound of cracking glass interrupted them. Sebastian cocked his head backwards as he watched the bolterfly's crash into the side of the lift.

"Making friends?" Sebastian mocked. "You're as randomly lethal and entirely confused as you ever were." He finished.

"I've managed so far without you _cat_," Ciel said, spitting the word cat out like it were poison. "Return to whatever hovel is home to you, I'll call if I need you. "

Sebastian stood up and waved his black nails in front of his face. "Predictably rash. It's not a matter of if Ciel, it's when. Now hold on, and as they say, shut up." Sebastian whispered before a loud bang filled Ciel's ears as the lift crashed into the brick side of the wall. Ciel's vision blackened.

Xxxxxxxxxx

_Our Library was a fire trap. We had books toppling over shelves and resting beneath candle's. A conflagration waiting to happen!_

Ciel awoke slowly. It was obvious that he had been knocked unconscious by the impact into the wall during the crash. But how long he had been unconscious he wasn't sure. Standing, he brushed himself off and moved forward. Looking around, he decided that the smartest thing to do would be to find Hatter, but even he knew that it would prove to be a monumental task.

He was attacked by tea kettles, poked and prodded by green goblins with teacups as hats, and charged at my fire wielding tar creatures. Somehow more evolved than the ones he had encountered earlier. But, coming out less than a little bruised and bloodied, he was left to find the Hatter, in complete disarray.

The grey and scarred skin of the man-beast was taut with stress as his decapitated head mumbled to itself things that Ciel could barely understand. The Hatters torso lay a little to the left, so Ciel reattached them.

"What's this? You've lost your hat Hatter...and other parts."

The Hatter's green eyes studied him cynically as his high pitched scratchy voice began attacking him.

"Missing indeed! Although matter's being as they are, I hardly miss their missing. As to what's happened, you should know better than I, it's your place after all, I know my place!" He rambled on as he cracked the joints in his now attached neck.

Ciel looked at him as if he had just pulled a kitten out of his mouth.  
"When have you ever known your place? Or how to keep it? Now, what's going on?" Ciel demanded loudly.

The Hatter's mouth opened before closing again in anger as the screech of a train's whistle was heard, rumbling throughout the halls of the entire domain.

"That! That's going on, all around and up and down and in my ears and through my eyes and up my nostrils and down my gullet and winding in my guts!" He cried in horror before laughing suddenly. Ciel ignored the random outburst of laughter.  
"My father was exceedingly fond of trains, I don't share the sentiment."  
"You won't like this one at all. Nothing like when Mock Turtle was in charge of the looking glass line. This railroad's a bloody shambles, the stink is ferocious, light blinding, the noise hellish-" He was about to continue before Ciel interrupted him.

"I get the idea, a bad train. Now if I help, will you help?"

"Cross my heart, if I had one. Toss my limbs into the tubes, dolls will do the rest. Goodbye now, yes that's a good boy..."

Xxxxxxxxxx

He wasn't entirely surprised to see that the culprits who stole the Hatters limbs had been them.

They're white hair and purple eyes glistened with joy as they spotted Ciel. But then they turned furious as they marched about in their platforms which held buttons and levers of all sorts. The marsh hare whispered into the dormouse's ear before making his exit, claiming he had work to attend to.

"Your presence here is unwelcome." Came from the dormouse, her voice heavenly and sweet. "We have a mission to complete and you are an intolerable annoyance." She exclaimed as she moved a few objects that Ciel couldn't see from his position far across the room and on the ground.

Suddenly he gasped as the floor beneath him began to burn through the souls of his feet. With increasing horror he scrambled onto a pipe before reaching an upper floor.

The dormouse was pouring a vast quantity of melted metal on the ground, filling up the room and creating a lake of a boiling death trap. Hatter's arms were manually doing the work by opening the compartment that released the orange fiery liquid.

"Some like it hot, but no one likes it this hot!" She exclaimed in insane glee.

Ciel agreed, it was far too hot for his liking, and so, he decided, he would cool it down.

Xxxxxxxxxx

The cooling process had been slightly easier than he had originally predicted. It had simply required a great deal of careful maneuvering and lever pulling, with the occasional kick to a villainous fiend, which would send them toppling into the scalding fires, burning them in less than an instant.

With the final lever pulled the metal cooled and became solid, and traversable.

The dormouse hissed in anger before smiling in a bipolar fashion.

"A temporary setback, a minor hindrance, a trivial impediment, I'll just move along. I'll deal with you later, Ciel." The dormouse cried as she escaped via elevator.

Ciel frowned as he triggered the release clutch, causing the Hatter's arms to fall down an open chute and no doubt to where he was.

He sighed.

"Suppose I best go and get his legs."


	5. Chapter 5

**Hatter's Domain: Part 2, final**

There were little teacups zipping this way and that way on tracks that stretched across the length of the domain, and it was using one of these tea cups that Ciel rode in.

The china teacup came to a breath stopping halt as Ciel lurched forward while his fingers held on with a vice to the rim of the cup. Looking up he let loose an annoyed sigh. The architecture of this particular section was boringly geometrical. Cubes made up the floor, walls and steps. The cubes that made up the steps however, were each as tall as Ciel himself, if not a few inches taller.

Just as he exited the teacup warm air settled onto his neck.

_"The steps to enlightenment brighten the way; but the steps are steep. Take them one at a time."_ Sebastian's voice whispered delightedly. Ciel shivered, but ignored the man as he hoisted himself up, climbing atop the first step.

Xxxxxxxxxx

Ciel hated puzzles that required something other than intellectual strength. And so when physical strength suddenly became necessary as he traversed the path of broiling hot metal and jumping pistons, Ciel was a little less than enthusiastic.

"Bloody Hatter, he should be the one scaling walls above pits of fire..." Ciel ranted on to himself as he placed his foot into a crevice between two metal slabs.

His tirade was cut off however as a small grenade sized discharge of scalding tea and gunpowder landed less than a foot from his head. He yelped loudly as his eyes burned with the tea. Regaining his composure he looked back, to see a tea kettle raised on its hind legs, one red eye flaming angrily at him. Ciel pulled from his coat the gun he had yet to use.

He breathed in, and then out.

Pulling the trigger he was only mildly surprised to find that instead of bullets, it fired pellets of pepper. Which seemed just as effective. The first three pellets of spice landed in the tea kettles eye region, causing it to pause and lift itself into a position of recuperation, leaving its eye open to air it out. Taking its weakened state to his advantage, Ciel charged.

Xxxxxxxxxx

Occasionally he would stop and marvel at the mechanics of the place. The sheer drop from a window or the pressure activated plates. He could never stop for long though, for his goal was within his sight.

Xxxxxxxxxx

The March Hare looked surprising unchanged. The purple eyes and white hair that had been brought about by Hatter's early experimentation remained, as did the utter nonsense of the beast.

"Your dogged persistence will be rewarded with purifying pain! I told you to cease and desist, but my warning's gone unheeded. So without regret, I throw you, little lobster, into the boiling pot!"

Ciel, had quite honestly, not been paying attention as he was looking about the room.

The Marsh Hare had gone to great lengths to make this trip a very vexing one. A caged maze was the only way to get to a lift, which would lead to the secondary control room, where, hopefully, Ciel would be able to deactivate the Hatters legs. By doing that, he would cause the Hare to go without power.

He smirked, and gripped the handle of his blade.

Xxxxxxxxxx

Ciel watched with sincere interest as the Hatter's dolls moved in a macabre yet orderly fashion as they reattached each of his limbs individually.

Stretching himself, the Hatter's green eyes shown with sick joy as one last Doll handed him both his hat, and a large scythe.

He started walking.

"Now, what about this damnable train?" Ciel questioned, as he quickened his pace in order to match the Hatter's long steps.

"I feel like a new man! Or whatever I am. Like a new spring, like an un-corroded gear, like an untarnished bit of metal that sticks in your eye!"

"Answer me!"

"Ah!" The Hatter stopped and turned himself about to face Ciel, a frown on his face. "How do you measure rules? With a ruler! Such cruel rules...The law is just."

Ciel let loose an angry growl as he ground his teeth in frustration.

"Idiot, I should have left you in pieces."

"Should've, could've, would've."

XXXXXXXX

"They are destroyers! Defilers! The arrogance is suffocating!" The Hatter cried after both the retreating figure of the fiery train and at the Dormouse and Marsh Hare. Ciel looked in surprise at the Hatter. "Did they truly make this train in order to destroy Wonderland?"

"What does that matter? They should die!"

The Dormouse's voice came over speakerphone then, interrupting the Hatter. "Enough talk! To battle!"

Ciel took a step back as he tried to grasp what he was seeing. A humanoid hunk of moving metal, the size of a building stood, weapons poised for attack as its gears whirred in what seemed excitement.

"Unforgiveable!" The Hatter cried out suddenly as he gripped his scythe tightly, and swung with all his might at the metal beast.

It fell in two with ease, spitting out the lifeless bodies of the Dormouse and the March Hare.

"No, no, no!" The Hatter exclaimed as he leaned over the bodies of his former friends. "All I wanted was another tea party!"

Ciel looked on angrily. "Hatter, you promised! Where is that train going, what is its purpose?"

"No time! No time! It's time for tea! Bother Mock turtle, he ran the looking glass line."

Ciel was about to counter this statement when a mighty rumble knocked him from his feet. The pipes of the entire metal structure were seeming to 'pop' under some unknown pressure. Because of this, metal scaffolding and entire walls crumbled down. One landing successfully on the Hatter.

"He deserved to die. And I am about to drown in tea and ignorance." Ciel exclaimed as the tea from the pipes reached above his head and his vision was cut off by his unconsciousness.

Xxxxxxxxxx

The Cheshire Cat watched with very mild interest as the scene played out from his wonderful view on one of the more stable scaffoldings. He watched as Ciel fell below the line of the tea, and didn't rise again.

He sighed. "Really now...couldn't even last a second."


	6. Chapter 6

**Warning: SebxCiel**

Xxxxxxxxxx

There is a certain elegance in drowning.

Ciel's air supply ran out and his mouth instinctively opened for air. Icy-cold water flooded in, his throat burned as if a thousand needles had been plunged into it. He desperately clawed at the water, trying to shoot to the surface while his lungs swamped with slimy liquid and he convulsed uncontrollably.  
His muscles relaxed and he was oddly calm for a moment - then he felt something powerful grip his bicep, bringing him up into open air.

Ciel knelt on all fours as he heaved violently. The crushing pressure had been removed, and in its absence stinging oxygen inhabited his lungs.

"'Ey! Lookee 'ere boys! Cute little 'un...soft skin too." Came a gruff voice.

Ciel looked up and glared with great malice at the men who had seemingly pulled him from the black depths of the Thames. He was in no mood for their ridiculous antics.

"Get away." He said, walking around them. They let him pass, but not before sending him lewd glances.

Looking up Ciel noted that he was in fact near the mangled Mermaid, perhaps he would visit Hannah.

Xxxxxxxxxx

Ciel himself cannot lie that Hannah Anafelloz is quite an 'uppity whore'. This of course, is general populace respected opinion (and knowledge), and widely accepted at that. And it is also general knowledge that Alois Trancy, is her rather disagreeable employer.

"Get those fat arse whore's out on the street's you tart!" Screeched the blond from his perspective on the ground.  
"Sod off Cocker snipe!"

Alois curled his lip as he pivoted and made for the back alley. His fur coated jacket ruffling against his skin as his blue eyes blazed.

Hannah looked down from her perch out of the window and gave Ciel a smile. "Ah, Ciel Phantomhive. You'll make a nice change, bring your dishevelled self up here." She invited warmly, arm waving to the boy before she disappeared into the room.

Ciel didn't walk five paces before he heard a loud crash and a female cry.

With quick feet he jostled his way past some busy patrons paying for a little _entertainment_, as he rushed into the back entrance of the pub and up the stairs.

Hannah's sobbing was hiccup-ish and aggravating, yet Ciel couldn't help but defend the cowering woman from Alois. Who in his sadistic outburst of rage, turned on him. Knocking a burning lantern from a desk top, Alois advanced upon Ciel. Ciel however was unprepared for this as he was initially startled by the lanterns sudden crashing landing, and so, when Alois pulled from his pocket a large pipe and struck at him, he shouldn't have been at all surprised that the last thing he could comprehend before going unconscious was the scent of burning paper.

Xxxxxxxxxx

Ciel felt air pushing past his face as the sensation of falling overtook him. The sensation was cut short however as he suddenly found himself wrapped within two thin limbs of warmth as red eyes gazed at him fiercly and canines danced in his vision. In his feverish attempt to get out of the arms of Sebastian he found himself pinned beneath the man who war currently straddling him.

Ciel was vaguely aware of the fact that they were taking refuge on a small floating iceberg, somewhere in the torrents of Ciel's mind.

"Really now..." The man purred as he lowered himself to the smaller boy. "You just keep ending up in situations that you can't get out of. And then look what happens?"

Ciel's eyes widened as he felt his breathing slow, whether it was due to the strong urge to kiss the man in front of him or the freezing weather he wasn't quite sure.

Sebastian, noting the boy's distress easily made the reason for his breathing patterns quite clear as he feverishly pressed his lips to Ciel's.

It was a very strange sensation, Ciel decided, to kiss someone who didn't exist. Much like the feeling you get when you are about to sleep and you feel as though you've misplaced your footing and are plummeting off the edge of a cliff, before, as if by string, you're jerked back into the room. Breathing quick and edgy, heart beating erratically.

The feeling of adrenaline.

Then, Ciel surges forward, tangling his hands in the man's hair and kissing him long and deep and hungry and he doesn't pull away until he has to.

Ciel doesn't notice that Sebastian is still grinning however, as he falls into the ice and snow beneath him. He expects Sebastian to get off of him, let him continue with his journey, but when he doesn't Ciel isn't extremely unhappy.

After all, even Cheshire Cat's need a reason to grin.

Fun and games are quickly pushed to the side however as the ice Ciel and Sebastian rest on cracks and shifts. Ciel rushes to his feet and is only slightly surprised to see that there is no sign of the cat, as he has dematerialized in the middle of their third lip lock.

When the ice seems to have stopped shaking and making groaning noises against Ciel's weight, he releases a sigh of relief. Only to let loose a yelp as a resounding 'bonk' was heard as the ice once again shifted restlessly.

"My, my, seems you've attracted a very angry school of ice Snark's, perhaps now would be a good time to run?" A satin voice suggests casually. Ciel looks up and is annoyed to see that Sebastian in fact has not disappeared, but is taking refuge atop a pinnacle of ice with an extremely self satisfied smirk stamped stupidly on his lips.

Ciel rages.

"You did that on purpose! You distracted me long enough for the Snark's to find me, all because you find my peril funny!"

Sebastian shrugs and looks thoughtful for a moment before he taps his lower lip and sets his smoldering gaze on Ciel.

"Well, yes, that was part of it. I always just wanted a taste of you."

Ciel was about to reply about how extremely perverted that sounded before he was cut off with another crash against the ice.

"Ah yes, the mock turtle awaits your arrival, he is preparing his ship as we speak. Hurry now, Snark's aren't known for patience." Sebastian chided.


	7. Chapter 7

Ciel is amazed that the Mock Turtle hasn't committed suicide yet.

His blonde hair flutters in the wind as he grips the side of the ship's helm. His grey eyes hold a complacent over-exaggerated depression as he beckons Ciel forward in a ridiculous manner. His large endowment of turtle shell quakes slightly as he cries out in his perversely disturbing voice.

"Oh! Doomed! Doomed, we certainly are! Come aboard little Robin, we haven't a chance. "

Ciel seemed surprised at the large amount of pessimism shown by the Mock Turtle.  
"What? There's no hope then?"

The Mock Turtle shook his head in disagreement as the boy climbed his way onto the deck of the ship. "There is an infinite amount of hope my Robin, but not for us!"

The Ice beneath the ship cracked as the Mock Turtle suddenly brightened. "Ah! Let us leave this confounding mess and go to the Carpenter's show!"

Another crack in the ice cuts him off as Sharks begins to breach the bottle in which the ship is contained.

"Best dive soon! Or else the Shark's shall have us!" Ciel cried, not quite caring where they went as long as it wasn't here. The Mock Turtle nodded his head in agreement rapidly as he suddenly fancied himself a theatre fan.

"Ah! I cannot wait for the Carpenter's performance, the uncanny wit, the uncountable depravities, the stylized story line~!" He gleaned in excitement as the Griffons head adorning the front of the ship tipped forward and drug them beneath the water's edge.

Xxxxxxxxxx

Of course the idea of the ship diving beneath the surface was in fact a good idea, the sharks were hardly deterred by it. In fact, they seemed to only swarm more closely.

Ciel decided early on in the journey that he wouldn't question the fact that he could breathe quite easily under the water. Even in such stressful situations.

It only took the crashing of the ship to get them somewhat close to the Carpenter's theatre. And even then the Mock Turtle refused to go along with Ciel as he felt it was more necessary to wail over the loss of both his Ship and his job as head of the looking glass line. He spoke until he caught himself and rather dramatically proclaimed that he could say no more. The only useful thing he had provided was a ticket to Carpenter's show which had been christened 'Totentanz', a 'Day of Wrath' or more commonly 'Dance of Death'.

Ciel gripped the ticket before slipping it into the sleeve of his blouse, thanking the Mock Turtle with as much contempt as possible as he marched away rather more annoyed than he had been to begin with. He supposed the best he could do was inquire further with the Carpenter, as he may have some answers.

Xxxxxxxxxx

Blocking entrance to the city which contained both the Carpenters theatre and all manner of fish folk were peculiar drifting spiders. They moved in such a way that they looked as if they were hanging from a web, but then they would spot Ciel and attack with a quickness and grace that had him reeling.

It took a good ten minutes to finally open the door, only to find the Carpenter completely busy and overly arrogant (as per usual), as he flounced around giving orders. While he was distracted, Ciel took the chance to look at the other male.

He was the epitome of Alois, just more flamboyant and friendly, and not as violently outrageous. At least, as of currently.

The hammer in Carpenter's left hand swung from finger to finger as Carpenter anxiously looked around. Spotting Ciel he called out, raising his right hand in salutations, also displaying the nails protruding from the skin of his forehead and palms.

"Ah Ciel!" The Carpenter gushed, having always had a strange adoration for the boy as he hopped forward jovially. "Wonderful to see you again! You're looking fit. How fortunate that you should arrive so perfectly!"

Ciel glanced to the side and was unsurprised to see Walrus, sleeping quite haphazardly on the stage, legs curled beneath him as he rested his head on his hands. Ciel himself never understood why he was referred to as Walrus, for the man himself was not of a nautical sort at all, but rather more of a canine type. Whatnot with his ability to enlarge himself into a demonic entity of a dog capable of devouring all.

Looking back Ciel noted the Carpenters hands waving about spastically.

"No matter! My pregnant show, is about to 'pop'!" Carpenter explained gleefully as he waved his hammer in the air. "I require but a sprinkle of your help-philocity-" _  
Not a word.  
_"-We can barter if we must! Maybe a nice hammer or screwdriver?" The Carpenter trailed as he spun about slightly, rust blue eyes staring intently at Ciel.

"Actually there is a train, it has a corrupting influence on Wonderland, and I am looking for help to restrain or destroy it."

The Carpenter turned about in thought before smiling innocently.

"Most courageous no doubt. Very few would address that monstrosity directly. Or for that matter eventually..." He seemed to trail off before returning once more. "Now! Let us intermediate more important matters, due to a large hysterical pile up some of requisites need to be gathered."

He raised his free hand and brought it to eye level as he began counting off and listing what was needed at the same time.

"The munificent script needs fetching (The writer is over imaginative and exploring several endings). Then, assemble the show's tune deaf music. And finally gather our stars! The shows tasty-nay tasteful performers. Essential haste is essential."

With this the Carpenter practically threw Ciel out of the theatre, clearly nervous for him to leave. Not necessarily a good sign.

"Oh!" The Carpenter stopped just before Ciel was completely out the door. "The writer lives over that way! Ta-Ta!"

Ciel stared dumbfounded in front of him as he considered his options. And with a huff he went in the direction the Carpenter had been pointing.


End file.
